When Life Gives You Lemons... Make Lemon-Black Pepper Cornmeal Cookies

Lemon and black pepper may sound a little strange, but after tasting the first batch out of the oven, I was sold! The pepper is subtle and leaves a pleasant warmth in your mouth...I bet if you didn't tell anybody, they'd wonder what the "secret" ingredient was. Happy baking! (And by the way, don't miss this week's giveaway!)

Lemon-Black Pepper Cornmeal Cookies
from Luscious Lemon Desserts

1.25 cups all purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
3/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
pinch of salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temp
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup finely grated lemon zest
2 large egg yolks

1. Whisk together first four ingredients in medium bowl.

2. Beat the butter, sugar, and zest in a medium bowl with electric mixer, beginning on low speed and increasing to med-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the yolks and beat to combine well. Reduce to low speed, add flour mixture, beat on low speed just until blended; dough will be crumbly.

3. Press dough together with your hands and divide in half. Place each half on a sheet of wax paper and form each piece into a 10-by-1.25" log. Smooth each log with dampened fingers. Chill logs, wrapped in wax paper, for at least 3 hours, or until firm.

4. Preheat oven to 400. Butter 2 large nonstick baking sheets.

5. Cut each log into 1/4" thick rounds and arrange rounds 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, for 10 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool.